Trading up for your kids stuff

Why Didn’t You Tell Me There Were Giant Cockroaches in Arizona?

I returned to Arizona in late-March and I was determined to make friends and plan playdates for the kids. When I was in Seattle, I joined a mommy group. It was great to meet monthly to talk about challenges and find out what others were doing to manage the demands of family, business, and free time (of lack of it).

When I got back I looked up the local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group so I could take my niece on playdates with kids her age. I also hoped to meet moms of teens to get thoughts on how to make it through senior year as a parent, where is the instruction book for this?? What if I scar my daughter for life with my mothering skills? Nana might have a better chance since I should learn from my mistakes with the teen, right?

Anyway, I was overjoyed when one of my friends moved to Arizona last weekend. I always envisioned a Desperate Housewives scenario where you hash out problems with friends over coffee (minus the murdering that goes with that show). Now I have a friend from California to make me feel less alone and new friends who plan all sorts of fun activities like crafting and practice spa day.
On Tuesday night, I was going to help my friend shop for a toddler bed and we ended up scrapping that idea to catch up instead. When I was leaving, she says to me, How come you didnt tell me there were giant cockroaches here? I never would have moved if I knew that. She told me there were a few of them outside, I probably got a panicky look on my face. I am a city girl and living in the suburbs with bugs, scorpions, and crickets freak me out.

I told her the house gets sprayed inside and out monthly, besides the crickets that sneak into the house, I havent seen any other bugs. When we opened the door, something flew by so we slammed the door to keep it out, I asked if it was a flying cockroach and she said she didnt see it. On the second attempt to leave I saw a cockroach on the walkway and stepped around it. Then it seemed to be running after me so I ran to the car. What I didnt know at the time was her son saw me running and asked why I was running out of the house. She told him a bug was chasing me. Anyway, its comforting to know we can laugh at each other, I mean laugh WITH each other as we adjust to life in the desert.

@jmatthicks Thanks for the “fly” tip! I’m going to use that, I’m currently in California and there are flies outside in the summer, the kids never seem to remember to close doors so that will at least keep me from yelling at them all day long.

So far, I like that Livefyre integrates with Facebook and Twitter. I’m looking to find out how to get comments on our Facebook page and Twitter to show up on the blog and vice versa.

Though with huge cockroaches roaming about, I know flies are the least of your worries, but when visiting friends in Alabama what they do is hang a zip lock bag about half full of water with a penny in it over any doors that open to the outside.

It sounds incredibly random and ridiculous, but it WORKS. Whether at church camp or at someones house in Alabama, I never saw a fly in a building that did that. Incredible. So, maybe that helps?

Anyways, we’re pumped to have you using Livefyre. Let us know if you ever need anything as we’d be more than happy to help in any way that we can!